The discipline of the Gospel is coming to God on His terms -Barbara Hughes

Determined not to complain, but rather give thanks in all things, I'm just going to share something that has spoken to me this week as I have been going through this season of Lent, meditating on what Christ has done for me:

 When asked how they know they are Christians, people often answer with "Because I accepted" or "I prayed" or "I went forward."  Notice the "I"?  All of these answers give prominence to what the person has done.  This is the root of the general confusion about the Gospel.  The Gospel is about what God has done!

Christianity is the only religion in which salvation cannot be earned.  Christians know our salvation has been accomplished by what God alone has done, not by what we have done... 

The Gospel belongs to God.  It is His Gospel. From cover to cover the Bible is about God's Gospel.  It was His idea and His plan: "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you'" (Galatians 3:8)

The Bible, beginning in Genesis, reveals God's plan to restore us to what we were created to be- people made in His image, joyfully living under His loving rule and blessing.  But while it saves us, "the Gospel is not primarily about man and his needs, although these are not unimportant nor are they unrelated."  As good as it may sound, a man-centered gospel is not God's Gospel.  A gospel that primarily focuses on man's needs or guilt or feelings or wants or ambitions is not God's Gospel.  God's Gospel is amazing news about what His son Jesus Christ has accomplished on the cross.  It is about what God has done...

In a day when everything (including theology) is decided by popular opinion, how easy it is to believe another gospel.  How easy it is to shape our god according to what we think he should be like and not allow the whole of Scripture to explain Him...

Our part is to believe.  But we must believe in this Jesus- the Christ God has revealed in the holy Scriptures and not one of our own imagination.  Here I must ask: In what gospel do you believe?  Is your Jesus a messiah defined by your own imaginings or the promised Messiah defined by the Scriptures?  The Jesus of the Bible is utterly wonderful!  And His Gospel is the only path to godliness.

- Disciplines of A Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes

 Quieted,

Sheila

Sharing a quote

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." -Jim Elliot

Quieted,

Sheila

Josiah Conder, 1836

" 'Tis not that I did choose Thee,
For Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee,
Hadst Thou not chosen me...

My heart owns none before Thee,
For Thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou must have loved me first."

Oh can you hear my heart!? I love You Jesus, but only because You loved me first!

So glad He found me ,

Isaiah 51:3

A good word I heard today

I heard this today while listening to Courson on Searchlight:

"God's commandments are God's enablements."

Redeeming the time

Exposing Quotes

"If monotony tries me, and I cannot stand drudgery; if stupid people fret me and
the little ruffles set me on edge; if I make much of the trifles of life, then I
know nothing of Calvary love." -Amy Carmichael

“If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, than I know
nothing of Calvary love, for a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one
drop of bitter water however suddenly jolted.”-Amy Carmichael

Thanks to to Elizabeth at A Merry Rose: Blooming As Keeper of My Home for sharing these quotes from Amy Charmichael.

I've been exposed, challenged and inspired by Amy's writings as I continue to read through The Edges of His Ways.

Oh Lord Love change me! Touch the bitter waters that still remain with Your cross and make them sweet! Give me eyes to see You about the business of "drudgery" and "monotony" and loving "stupid" people so that I might hate my haughtiness and joyfull do what never seems to be done, and with delight put on a towel to wash feet, and with grace and tenderness love those I see as "stupid"- Oh God help me! I'm the stupid one You love! I'm the dirty one You wash! I'm the one You keep tending to day after day in the same place, in the same needs, in the same monotonous and drudgerous issues of my life.